prepared by Chris Hancock – 19th July 2026
STF 65 – Sing of the Lord’s goodness
| Sing of the Lord’s goodness, Father of all wisdom, come to him and bless his name. Mercy he has shown us, his love is for ever, faithful to the end of days. Come then, all you nations, sing of your Lord’s goodness, melodies of praise and thanks to God. Ring out the Lord’s glory, praise him with your music, worship him and bless his name. Power he has wielded, honour is his garment, risen from the snares of death. His word he has spoken, one bread he has broken, new life he now gives to all. | Courage in our darkness, comfort in our sorrow, Spirit of our God most high; solace for the weary, pardon for the sinner, splendour of the living God. Praise him with your singing, praise him with the trumpet, praise God with the lute and harp; praise him with the cymbals, praise him with your dancing, praise God till the end of days. Ernest Sands (b.1949) |
Prayers
Loving and faithful God, we come into your presence rejoicing. We come to sing your praise, we come to hear your word and to share your all-embracing love. We come offering ourselves and seeking your words of comfort and challenge. We praise you because you show us your love: love for all people; love which does not count the cost of loving; love which never ends.
Forgive us when we love ourselves and not you. Forgive us when we take our own way and not yours. Forgive us when we live for ourselves and not for you. Loving God, help us to respond to your promise and challenge of discipleship and renew us in your service. Amen
STF 633 – My soul finds rest in God alone
| 1 My soul finds rest in God alone, my rock and my salvation; a fortress strong against my foes, and I will not be shaken. Though lips may bless and hearts may curse, and lies like arrows pierce me, I’ll fix my heart on righteousness, I’ll look to him who hears me. O praise him, hallelujah, my delight and my reward; everlasting, never failing, my Redeemer, my God. | 2 My soul finds rest in God alone amid the world’s temptations; when evil seeks to take a hold I’ll cling to my salvation. Though riches come and riches go, don’t set your heart upon them; the fields of hope in which I sow are harvested in heaven. 3 I’ll set my gaze on God alone and trust in him completely; with every day pour out my soul and he will prove his mercy. Though life is but a fleeting breath, a sigh too brief to measure, my King has crushed the curse of death and I am his forever. |
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Reflection
The parable of the weeds sits in a series of parables concerning the kingdom of God.
The farmer has chosen and planted the best quality seed he could get. So, his workers are a bit confused that there seems to be something wrong with the crop which is growing. If you read the commentaries on this passage they will tell you that the weeds that are being referred to are most likely to be “False Wheat” and this makes removal even more complicated. As it is virtually impossible to distinguish between it and “true” wheat until it has fully matured.
They want to fix the problem and remove the weeds from the field. However, the farmer is wise and knows that if the weeds are pulled some of the wheat will also be pulled. Partly because it is difficult to tell the difference between the good and bad. Also, the good wheat will be damaged as the roots of the weeds will be intertwined with the roots of the wheat and so they would also be pulled or damaged at the same time. So, the farmer tells them to let nature take its course and that they would deal with the weeds at harvest time.
We have a wildflower wilderness in our front garden (on purpose) and there are times in the year when I look at it and think I should dig that over but the seeds germinate and the flowers return. When they are in their immature state I find it difficult to tell what should and should not be gently removed because it is a weed or left to flourish because it is a flower. When a large weed appears like a thistle or dock there is a great dilemma as to whether to try and extract them or not. Unfortunately I have found, as in todays parable, that more often than not the flowers that are close to the offending weed end up dying because I have disturbed their roots too much in removing the weeds. Leaving a small barren patch on the ground.
What does the parable say to us today.
In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis observes that humans fall into two equal and opposite errors regarding devils. They can either refuse to believe in their existence or believe and develop an unhealthy, obsessive interest in them. Both extremes serve demonic interests perfectly. To refuse to acknowledge their existence they are left to do their work unhindered. If we become obsessive about them we lose sight of the concentration that we should have on God.
So, we acknowledge that we have an enemy. Whether in the world or in aspects of our own lives. In response we nurture the harvest with faith, love and hope. We live lives full of kindness, forgiveness and patience. In all things we work for justice and peace in the world. By doing so we counteract the discontent and fear, anger, hatred and despair which the enemy would have us fall into.
You will not be surprised to hear that often when people tell me stories about folk they have asked about why they no longer go to church. Including some of my own conversations. That the majority will re-tell an incident where they or someone they know has been badly treated by a church or more often by a church member or Minister. Of course, you always need to treat these stories with a little bit of caution – there are always two sides to every disagreement. However, you can’t get away from the fact that someone who was a member of a church fellowship has been driven away by the actions of another member of the same fellowship.
In today’s parable we can see that God’s kingdom is for everyone and it is not our place to judge who is and who is not a suitable person to be nurtured and included by God in his harvest.
John Wesley summed this up brilliantly in the Four Alls of Methodism. Do you know what they are?
All need to be saved. All may be saved. All can know they are saved. All can be saved to the uttermost.
These are the foundations of Methodism but how do we live these principles?
John Wesley helpfully added some practical advice in a further set of “Alls”. “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.”
So do not try to judge what is or isn’t a weed, rather concentrate on being the best that you can be. Spreading God’s love wherever you find yourself and share it with whoever you are with. In so doing we may discover that what we thought might be weeds to be discarded, were in fact fellow travellers called to be part of God’s fruitful harvest. Amen.
Intercessions
We spend some time in silent prayer for those people and places which are on our own minds at this time.
Lord, we pray for the church and its life together; a place where seeds are planted and grow; for the new ways of being church that we pray will be equally fruitful and touch lives reluctant to embrace traditional “church”.
We pray for the world in which we live our Christian lives, as we look around us locally, nationally and internationally. We see a world full of so much need. Those places where there is war and conflict: remembering especially Israel and Palestine, Ukraine and Russia, Iran and the Middle East and so many other places.
As we experience extreme weather ourselves, we pray for those suffering from the effect of climate change.
We particularly pray for those displaced from their homes by war, political upheaval or climate changes.
We pray for our families and friends. For those undergoing tests and medical procedures or waiting for results. We pray for the medical professionals who care for them. May they be especially aware of your presence with them holding them safely in your arms of love. May they know the love we have for them as we lift them to you in our prayers.
We pray especially this week for the family and friends of those who have died. Let your love hold them tightly in their grief and loss.
In the all-powerful name of Jesus, we offer you these prayers and those expressed in the quiet of our own thoughts. Amen
STF 409 – Let us build a house
| 1 Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live, a place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive. Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace; here the love of Christ shall end divisions: All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place. 2 Let us build a house where prophets speak, and words are strong and true, where all God’s children dare to seek to dream God’s reign anew. Here the cross shall stand as witness and as symbol of God’s grace; here as one we claim the faith of Jesus: 3 Let us build a house where love is found in water, wine and wheat: a banquet hall on holy ground where peace and justice meet. Here the love of God, through Jesus, is revealed in time and space; as we share in Christ the feast that frees us: | 4 Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone to heal and strengthen, serve and teach, and live the Word they’ve known. Here the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God’s face; let us bring an end to fear and danger: 5 Let us a build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard and loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word. Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace, let this house proclaim from floor to rafter: Marty Haugen (b.1950) |
Blessing
May the beauty of God be reflected in your eyes, the love of God be reflected in your hands,
the wisdom of God be reflected in your words, and the knowledge of God flow from your heart,
that all might see, and seeing, believe. Amen.
